A common method of analyzing running executable programs is dynamic binary translation (DBT) or dynamic binary instrumentation (DBI) of the executable program. In DBT, the executable instructions are translated and emulated. In DBI, execution time statistics or characteristics can be obtained. Thus, DBT and DBI of a running executable program can be useful for testing and debugging features of the program or for detecting hot spots or bottlenecks in the program. Conventional DBT and DBI software frameworks typically causes DBI and/or DBT to be performed on the entire executable. While DBT and DBI can be useful for such activities, the utility comes at a cost. The overhead of translation, emulation and/or instrumentation can easily double the execution time of a program.